Group urges Marcos to veto Konektadong Pinoy bill

A group of telecommunications companies on Monday urged President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to veto the Konektadong Pinoy Bill, citing national security issues.

“The current bill is flawed with national security issues as well as the lack of protection for small players like us that are already providing service to rural areas,” said lawyer Normandy Baldovino Jr., president of the Philippine Association of Private Telecommunications Companies (PAPTELCO).

PAPTELCO said the bill would allow any company to build cable landing stations and international gateway facilities in the Philippines without securing a legislative franchise.

“We can’t sacrifice the country’s national security. While the Konektadong Pinoy bill has good intentions, it may have adverse effects down the road similar to when the government legalized Philippine Offshore Gaming Corporations (POGO),” Baldovino said.

“We have to correct the bill itself to ensure there is nothing lost when it comes to the implementing rules and regulations,” he added.

Marcos has certified as urgent the passage of Senate Bill 2699, or the Konektadong Pinoy Bill, which aims to provide affordable and accessible internet connectivity to Filipinos nationwide.

The Senate and House of Representatives ratified the proposed measure last April 9, 2025.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) also pushed for the passage of the measure, which, it said, will provide open access and transparency in the country’s data transmission sector. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BM, GMA Integrated News